The Phils have 3 MLB catchers who are good enough. Neither Coste nor Ruiz is a great hitter, but both are acceptable. Paulino is a much better hitter, but I think his ability to work with pitchers is a little less than the other 2. Still think Paulino's stick will get him the job over Coste.

That is the main reason I assume Marson is not sticking around for now, in order for him to come up, one of these threee would have to be demoted, probably Coste, unfortunately. But the team is shaping up to be dangerous again this year, and I like it. The future is looking good...

Fact remains that Marson is the future. However, the Phillies are pretty good at present. Catchers who can hit okay and who play decent D are at a premium. I expect Paulino or Coste to get traded at some point this year. Not sure exactly where they will go, but I expect it to happen. KC is a distinct possibility, for instance. The Phils will have to clear out room for Marson at some point. His mix of skills is impossible to keep down (if he is what people say he is).

Fact remains that Marson is the future. However, the Phillies are pretty good at present. Catchers who can hit okay and who play decent D are at a premium. I expect Paulino or Coste to get traded at some point this year. Not sure exactly where they will go, but I expect it to happen. KC is a distinct possibility, for instance. The Phils will have to clear out room for Marson at some point. His mix of skills is impossible to keep down (if he is what people say he is).

Agreed, honestly, with the three we have already, this move doesn't surprise me. But I do also expect to see him shortly up with the Phils every day...

Mine as well, I'm glad for his sake he was able to witness the World Series win, but it is sad to see him go. I was getting choked up at times during the game yesterday, and watching and listening to Wheels, I could tell he was too. He really touched a lot of people in this world and was a truly excellent human being from all accounts that I've heard. You can tell that he was loved accross the whole spectrum of people in Philadelphia, and across the country, but Philadelphia especially. All the people whose lives he touched are better off for it, no matter how little. I'm glad I was around to watch him and listen to him. I will remember Harry Kalas for as long as I live, and my best wishes go out to his family.

I never said that the Phils shouldn't sign Ibanez, and I didn't even push too hard to keep Burrell around. I was worried about Ibanez's age (37 now) and the length of the contract. He has proven himself worth it so far, but it's a long season. The guy should start the all star game. Amazing first half so far...

I never said that the Phils shouldn't sign Ibanez, and I didn't even push too hard to keep Burrell around. I was worried about Ibanez's age (37 now) and the length of the contract. He has proven himself worth it so far, but it's a long season. The guy should start the all star game. Amazing first half so far...

Never meant it like that if thats how you took it. I meant it more in a way to describe how happy I was about Ibanez's success. He has slowed down a bit, but he is still outperforming Burrell and is a better fielder. The only thing I can see where Burrell is better than him is in arm strength.

Arm strength means absolutely nothing if you don't get to the ball. Burrell was clearly the worst fielding OF in the league from 2006-2008. Ibanez alone has been a huge improvement in the field, plus his hitting has been sick. Not as many K's, and he's thriving. Obviously, he can't keep this up all year, but he'll have a ton of opportunities and will be a key for the team in 2009. My big issue is whether the deal will be worth it at the end of the contract...

Arm strength means absolutely nothing if you don't get to the ball. Burrell was clearly the worst fielding OF in the league from 2006-2008. Ibanez alone has been a huge improvement in the field, plus his hitting has been sick. Not as many K's, and he's thriving. Obviously, he can't keep this up all year, but he'll have a ton of opportunities and will be a key for the team in 2009. My big issue is whether the deal will be worth it at the end of the contract...

I agree, but when Pat did get to the ball, he had a cannon, and remember he was in contention for leading baseball in outfield assists last year. Raul fields the position better by far, but his arm just isn't as good as Pat's. It isn't bad, just average. Ibanez is a more complete player alltogether, and right now, with how he's played so far, his arm strength is on of the few flaws in his game.

I've seen Phillies jerseys with Ibanez's nuber, but instead of saying "Ibanez", they say "Raaaauuuuuuuuulll". It fills up the whole back of the jersey, and I can't see why anyone would get that over "Ibanez".

I don't care about arm strength that much. Fact is that Burrell's lack of range cost more runs than his arm saved. I'm much happier with Ibanez overall in the field. His torrid hitting is a bonus.

No doubt at all, I was just saying that one area Burrell has the advantage is in arm strength. I agree Ibanez's range is better than what we had with Burrell. It was just one of Ibanez's flaws in his game, and since we already have Victorino, who has great range and a great arm, it isn't absolutely necessary that Ibanez have it. I'm just so pumped about Ibanez right now that I'm looking for things that will help us as fans better realize what he is, because I don't think any of us expect him to keep up what he has done on offense.

Very few players are capable of an entire season like Ibanez is putting up. He has always hit well with RISP, but his BA overall is way above his career average. CB is helping his power #'s, but a lot is just he is locked in and put in favorable situations. The guy is just awesome.

He is easily outperforming what I expected from him so far. Perhaps it is a case of him trying to impress the new fans, combined with a streak he is on, but he is beginning to slow down a bit, and perhaps we will be seeing more of what we should expect from him, in terms of batting.

One thing I like about this team, ever since about 3 years ago, we almost always have someone hot offensively. Howard will be exploding for a while, then tail off, in which case we'll have Utley pick up the slack, and when neither of them are hitting extremely well, Rollins will pick up his game and do well. Even Vicotrino will step up, though he won't have the power of the others usually. And with Ibanez this year, he has been picking it up for most of the start of the season, with Howard still doing well. Ibanez is beginning to tail off, but Howard seems like he is primed for a hot streak right now.

I went to the Phils/Nats game yesterday. I was sitting near the top of the Left Field foul pole, but when Howard sent that 2 run shot, it was obvious it was not your normal Howard Home Run. We were on the second row of the Third level of the stands, and the ball was about 10 feet below our level at its highest point. Then we saw it land in the second deck in almost stragith away center, and it seemed like no one near us realized just how huge that HR was. I thought maybe I imagained it, but when I got home ESPN was showing that HR was one of only two measured HRs to apex at 172 vertical feet or more (forget their exact wording), so now I feel less potentially crazy...

Kinda forgot this thread existed, as did apparently everyone else. I'm going to bump it and see if there's any other Phillies fans still alive.

Really like what we've done thus far this offseason. With the Rollins and Byrd trades, we now have an entire rotation of young pitchers that are 1-2 years away in Aaron Nola, Tom Windle, Zach Eflin, Jesse Biddle, and Ben Lively. In two years, David Buchanan, Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, and Jonathan Pettibone will still be under our control as well, hopefully at least two of these guys become front end starters. While its great that we potentially solved the future rotation problems, the future of the offense doesn't look great.

If the season started today, this would be my guess at the roster:

Rotation:
1. Cole Hamels - On the fence on what I wanna do with Hamels. Obviously he's our best trade piece but given his age and contract, there's absolutely no reason to just give him away. I wouldn't trade him unless I was BLOWN AWAY. He likely will still be an ace in 2-3 years when we're competitive again and I don't see him turning into a Howard situation where we held onto him too long and now he's not effective.
2. Cliff Lee - Assuming he's ready for the season, which most reports state he will be. Ideal situation would be that he gets healthy fast and dominates early so we can move him midseason for some young hitting.
3. David Buchanan - Pitched pretty well for us this year and should absolutely be in the rotation this season barring injury or a colossal regression. Honestly, thing his worst case scenario is Kyle Kendrick which, while not great, is serviceable.
4. Jerome Williams - As it stands, he's probably in the rotation based on how he pitched for us since he came over. He's in the best position to lock up a roster spot after the first three. Would love to see him continue to pitch as well as he did in his nine starts last year and be this year's Roberto Hernandez (pitched better than expected and traded midseason for some B-level prospects).
5. Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez - This is my hope, at least. He's being stretched out in the offseason and he'll get every chance to win one of the rotation spots up for grabs. Hopefully he takes advantage of this opportunity and grabs a spot and stays healthy. Not like we're paying him a TON of money, but it would be nice to see some return on investment, especially since we're supposed to be rebuilding.

Other options:Jonathan Pettibone - Doesn't look like he'll be ready for spring training, will probably start the season on the DL and then go to AAA to get healthy before coming up. I think my ideal situation would be that he gets healthy in AAA and then replaces Lee/Williams when one of them gets traded.Wandy Rodriguez - Another guy that could be this year's Roberto Hernandez. If he's healthy, he'll probably be one of the top 5 starters. As much as I want MAG to be in the rotation, Wandy is a name that could probably bring a better trade return than Jerome Williams. Only reason I'd want him to see innings this year would be because of injury to the young guys or as a showcase to be traded.Kevin Slowey - Could slot in as a starter or reliever but it sounds like he's being brought in to fight for a rotation slot. He's younger than Wandy and Jerome Williams so he's someone that, if he pans out, could be around for a couple years but he's highly unlikely to bring trade value so if he does make the roster, I hope its in the bullpen.Sean O'Sullivan - Career AAAA pitcher that consistently performs serviceable in the minors but poorly when he's called up to the big leagues. Likely destined for another season in the Lehigh Valley.Adam Morgan - Long shot here but I felt he needed to be mentioned somewhere. He pitched in AAA at the end of 2013 and was slated to be a call-up before shoulder pain spiraled into shoulder surgery and then he missed all of 2014. He pitched in the Arizona fall league and should be plenty ready for spring training. If he's healthy and he picks up where he left off, he could be another potential mid-season call-up following trades/injuries.

Overall, I think we have a solid mix of veterans and young guys here. At the very least, we have to hope for Cliff Lee's health and return to form so we can get a good return for him. Beyond him, I do hope one of the other veterans that get innings for us end up giving us trade value in return too, whether its Wandy, Jerome Williams, or someone else that we sign (Aaron Harang being rumored). I think in my ideal world, the season ends and Buchanan, MAG, and Pettibone all received significant innings (100+) so we know 1. if they can indeed be starters in the league, and 2. If so, are they middle or back-end starters (none of them have front-line stuff). Would also love to see Adam Morgan healthy and getting moved up. Many expect to see Nola by season's end but I kinda hope to see him stay down in AA/AAA all season.

Bullpen
Closer - Jonathan Papelbon - Every year, everyone predicts that its the year his declining peripherals affect his performance but people continue to be wrong. His contract will continue to become less and less of an issue as time goes on so hopefully he can keep things up and we can move him midseason.
RH Setup - Ken Giles - Heir apparent to Papelbon's job. Dominant as a rookie, one of the few bright spots of the 2014 season.
LH Setup - Jake Diekman - His performance was the main reason Bastardo was expendable.
RH - Justin De Fratus - Another youngster that had a breakout season in the pen, should be a go to middle reliever this year.
LH - Andy Oliver - Rebuilding teams should carry rule 5 picks for the entire season as long as they show any level of competency. Hopefully we can reign in his control enough for him to be effective a la Bastardo.
LH - Cesar Jimenez - Jimenez has pitched well no matter where the Phillies have put him. He's also been working as a starter in winter ball so he can be both a middle reliever and a long reliever.
RH - Ethan Martin - Former starter has been moved to the bullpen and hasn't been too much more effective. Only reason he's here is because you probably want a true long reliever. Could easily see this spot going to anyone that misses a spot in the rotation (Slowey would probably be my best guess) or any of the guys below. Could also see the Phillies going with 11 pitchers to open up an extra bench spot.

Other options:
LH - Mario Hollands - Hollands had an okay season last year but he wasn't anything special and he'll probably be competing with Andy Oliver for his spot.
LH - Elvis Araujo - Araujo hasn't pitched above AA but we signed him to a guaranteed major league deal this offseason. As such, he's definitely going to get a chance to make the big league club. Like Hollands, I think he's competing with Oliver, though so I think the fact that he should have options means he'll be down.
RH - Phillippe Aumont - Maybe this is the year he learns some control and makes an impact, I won't hold my breath. If he's not, he'd be at or near the top of my "outright off the roster" list.
RH - Luis Garcia - Spent last season as the closer for Lehigh Valley and was dominant in that role. Could see him make the bullpen or back in Lehigh Valley as the closer again.
RH - Hector Neris - Got a very small cup of coffee with the Phils last year, he'll get a chance to compete for a bullpen spot but likely needs a full year in AAA.
RH - Paul Clemens - Non-roster invitee that will likely be competing for the long reliever spot.

Overall I really like where the bullpen is at. None of these guys are household names (other than Papelbon), but, if 2014 was any indication, they can pitch. I know some have said they'd like to see a veteran setup guy come in as you never know how young pitchers will do as teams get more tape on them, but on a rebuilding team, I'd much rather have the young arms back there. In addition, even if some of the guys listed in the bullpen do bomb, Aumont, Garcia, Hollands, and Neris all have some experience in the big leagues and have shown enough to get another shot at proving they can stick.

Positional Players:

C - Carlos Ruiz - His trade value is probably too low to move him for something even half decent right now. Even if we could, I'm not sure we have a replacement for him. If he comes out and hits even close to his 2012 self, and stays healthy, then maybe you move him but I'd be hesitant to move him until I was sure one of Rupp or Joseph was ready.Cameron Rupp - Rupp was absolutely dismal at the plate in 2014. Hopefully he rediscovers his swing and wins the backup job. Really don't want to see two 30+ year old catchers playing significant innings on a rebuilding team.

Other options:Koyie Hill - Veteran that spent majority of last year with Lehigh Valley splitting time with Rupp. John Hester - AAAA catcher that was brought in on a minor league deal with a spring training invite that will compete for the backup job.Rene Garcia - Of the three non-roster invitees, Garcia is the one I'd be pulling for winning the backup if its not Rupp but he's also probably the least likely. He's got zero MLB experience and spent the entire 2014 season in AA and has only a cup of tea at the AAA level. He's only 24 though so he'll probably end up simply being Sebastian Valle's replacement as young organizational depth at the AA/AAA level.Tommy Joseph - Once considered one of the Phillies top prospects, Joseph was supposed to be the centerpiece of the Hunter Pence deal. Since coming to the Phillies, though, he's been consistently injured and is no longer even considered one of the Phillies 20 best prospects. One reason to trade Chooch would be if Joseph can get healthy and produce.

Overall, Chooch is probably still in the top half of starting catchers in the league but there are more question marks than exclamation points behind him and that's one of the reasons I'd be hesitant to move him. Pitchers are more valuable and Chooch handles starters as well as anyone so I'd rather keep him and continue having our meh veteran starters outperform their ability and then move them instead of moving Chooch until we feel good about a replacement. If Chooch was in the final year of his deal like Jimmy was, then I'd endorse moving him but since he's not, I can wait.

1B - Ryan Howard - Let's be honest, we could eat the entire contract and nobody would want him. Best case scenario, he miraculously rediscovers his swing and we can find an AL team desperate for HRs and RBIs to take him off our hands. If we can't, let's hope he can at least platoon.Darin Ruf - Ruf is another guy that I don't know what to think about. Since leading the minors in HRs in 2012, he's been jerked off by the organization and is now in danger of being completely irrelevant without even being given a shot. I think the ideal situation right now would be to have him and Howard platoon so we can potentially get some value out of both of them.

Other Options:Russ Canzler - Corner infielder/outfielder that is best suited to be 1B. He's a AAAA right handed batter with mediocre power. Could earn a bench spot if Phillies decide some of the other young guys should have every day at-bats at AAA.Chris McGuiness - Minor league free agent that is a left-handed version of Canzler with the exception being that he's a pure 1B.
Will cover a number of other options later (positional versatility).

Overall, I think Howard/Ruf can actually be a somewhat productive platoon but there are a number of problems inherent in this. One, you want to trade Howard so if you platoon him, you really lose the ability to rebuild his trade value. Two, platooning Ruf only against LHP stunts any growth you are going to get from him and also really limits his at bats and we continue to not know if he can be an everyday player (I suspect the organization has already decided he's not but it'd be nice to at least give him a shot). Beyond these two, we could see any number of other players seeing time here, Chase Utley, Maikel Franco, Cody Asche being the biggest names.

2B - Chase Utley - I'm a major Utley homer and I never want to see him play a single inning in another uniform so I'm pretty happy that he's been saying he doesn't want to be traded and won't waive his no-trade clause. He had a great start to the season but he faded down the stretch. Expect him to see more time a 1B and more rest in general this season to try to keep him fresh.Cesar Hernandez - Hernandez is the odds-on favorite to replace Galvis as the super sub off the bench. Hernandez is a slap-hitter with little-to-no-power but he's a better hitter than Galvis. It's a shame he can't be an everyday SS, would rather see his bat than Galvis' in the lineup. Hernandez brings value as he can play 3B, SS, and in the OF.

Other Options:Cord Phelps - Phelps is the definition of a super sub. He's got experience playing every position but catcher, though 2B is his "primary" position. He's probably too similar to Cesar Hernandez to win a job on the big league club (Hernandez is younger and home-grown), but he'll get a shot.

Overall, I'm happy to see Utley continue to line up as our starting 2B until he decides to retire. Hernandez is an okay player but he's probably not more than an average everyday starter, at best, and there are no other 2B prospects even close to knocking on the door.

SS - Freddy Galvis - Can't begin to describe how annoyed I am with the fact that we seem to think Galvis is going to be good enough to bridge the gap to J.P. Crawford. Galvis' defense isn't even that great and his bat is terribad. I know Sandberg likes his energy, and I realize we have no better option right now but I'd honestly much rather go out and sign someone to bridge the gap. I'd be doing a ton of homework on Everth Cabrera and would be interested in Stephen Drew on a two year deal but we won't touch them because Boras.

Other Options:Chase d'Arnaud - Signed as a minor leaguer with an invite to Spring Training, d'Arnaud is similar to Phelps as he's got a lot of experience playing multiple positions the last couple of years, though d'Arnaud was drafted and the majority of his experience is at SS and I suspect he was promised he would be given a chance to compete for Jimmy's old spot. He's got similar batting numbers to Galvis though, so he's probably competing for a bench spot. As of now, he's probably the best defensive SS among those competing for backup spots.Andres Blanco - Blanco spent some time on the big league club last year and saw some time at SS when Rollins was hurt so he'll be in the mix as well. He actually hit pretty well in the bigs last year so he could find a spot if he keeps that up but he's also the oldest among the non-roster invitees (NRI), he'll be 31 when the season starts, so I have to think that works against him, though 31 certainly isn't old in baseball life.

3B - Maikel Franco - 3B is the spot where the Phillies have the most to figure out. Asche was plenty serviceable enough to deserve another year in the lineup, but Franco is ready for the bigs. A lot of how this plays out will depend on two things, 1. How does Franco hit in spring? He's tearing it up in winter ball. 2. How does Asche take to left field? In this, I'm going to assume both go well. Franco could also see time at 1B.

Other Options:Chris Nelson - Nelson is another NRI that will get a chance to win a job in the bigs. His best case scenario is that Franco fails to hit and needs to go back to AAA, opening up a roster spot. Nelson has experience at SS and 2B but he hasn't played SS consistently since 2011.

Overall, 3B is definitely going to be either Asche or Franco. I'm comfortable with Asche as an everyday player but I'm also anxious to see what Franco can do. Franco brings potential RH power, which we desperately need, so I'm hoping he can play his way into starting.

LF - Cody Asche - As mentioned above, Asche is going to be taking reps at LF in the offseason and spring training. If he proves he can handle it, and Franco proves he can hit, the best opening day lineup would include both of them starting.

Other Options: Brian Bogusevic - Signed as a NRI, Bogusevic can play any OF spot but is primarily a LF. He's likely competing for a backup OF spot as he's your quintessential 4th/5th OF type.Xavier Paul - Paul is pretty much the exact same player as Bogusevic. Both hit left-handed, both have some experience as a bench OF in the bigs, both competing for a spot on the bench.Aaron Altherr - Altherr is a top prospect but he's not ready to be an everyday player. He's got all the tools you want but he didn't exactly light it up in AA last year so he should either return there, or move up to AAA. Altherr is one of many highly touted OF prospects that could be the long-term starter at CF or LF, he'll likely be the first to get a chance but probably not until next year at the earliest.

CF - Ben Revere - Revere is going to be the lead-off hitter if for no other reason other than there is a lack of anyone else on the roster that can. Hopefully Revere can keep his swing going as, if he's not hitting, he's not getting on base. His defense is also terrible so if he's not hitting, he's really hurting the team.Odubel Herrerra - Herrerra is the player I'm the most excited to see in Spring Training. By all accounts, the dude can hit. Despite playing the majority of his career as a middle infielder, particularly at 2B, the Phillies are planning to move him to the OF, focusing him on CF to start. One potential scenario could see him winning the starting CF job, kicking Revere over to LF, which would probably improve overall OF defense, but it's so rare to see rule 5 picks come in and compete at that level so I'm not banking on it. Even so, if Herrerra hits, he'll be on the roster.

Other Options:Darin Mastroianni - Another NRI, Mastroianni has experience at each OF spot and at 2B but has seen most of his time in CF and LF. Mastroianni has little power and decent speed, but he's probably a better defender than the other NRI OFs.

RF - Dominic Brown - In this scenario, Brown will be kicked from LF over to RF. He had quite a bad 2014 season but he'll be given every opportunity to repeat his 2013 performance. Grady Sizemore - As it stands now, Sizemore could potentially be the opening day RF but I think its more likely they'll find a way to have him open up as the 4th OF. That being said, now that he's got a full season under his belt, who knows, maybe he'll recapture some of his old magic. If he can, that could be another great trade piece!

Other Options:Jeff Francoeur - Phillies signed Francoeur with hopes that he can either find a fountain of youth and replace Byrd or potentially provide a power bat off the bench. Kelly Dugan - Dugan spent the year in AA so he's probably a year away but he could potentially see a jump if he manages to have a big spring.Cameron Perkins - Perkins isn't on the 40-man roster but he's currently listed as 18th on the Phillies top prospects and he finished the season in AAA last year. He doesn't have HR power, but he has experience at both corner infield and both corner outfield spots, plays plus defense in the outfield, and, most importantly, he can hit. He didn't hit AAA as well as you'd hope so he might end up back there to start the season but he's an under-the radar prospect that could see the bigs sooner than later.

Way too many left-handed hitters. If Franco can't make the team, you have to hope Francoeur can so we can have his RH bat in RF as the other option would be another left-handed bat in the lineup in Sizemore. If they go 11 pitchers, Francoeur would be my pick for the final bench spot to get that right-handed bat with some pop.

Odubel Herrera looks like a nice find. Kid can hit, love his energy and speed. Would love to see him win a starting job (CF kicking Revere to LF or just straight LF).

Dominic Brown still sucks.

Ryan Howard looks healthier than I can remember. I think he's got a shot to have a relatively solid bounce back season, something like .250/25 HRs/100 RBIs. Maybe we can even trade him!

They need to find Ruf at bats. This team is going to be lacking for offense and he can not only hit, but he's a right handed bat that can hit, something we sorely need. Given the above thoughts about Dom Brown and Herrera, I wouldn't even be opposed to just sending Brown to the bench or, hell, send him to AAA, he probably even has options, heh.

Spring has been pretty fun to watch. Lots of 27ish year old guys putting together really good springs to try and prove they belong. Howard and Ruf both looking pretty good in spring. Here's an updated prediction for the opening day roster:

Notable Exclusions:
OF Grady Sizemore - He's looked quite bad in spring training and could very well be in jeopardy of losing his roster spot. Brian Bogusevic is having a big spring. If Dom Brown starts the year on the DL, Sizemore could potentially still cling to the final bench spot but I think they'd rather keep Hernandez, who is having an equally awful spring but is much younger. If Brown doesn't go on the DL, I think Sizemore and Hernandez will find themselves designated.

RHP Phillippe Aumont - Aumont is out of options so if he doesn't make the team, he's going to need to clear waivers to go down to AAA. That's the only reason he might make the roster but Aumont has never learned control and despite being the final piece from the Cliff Lee trade, doesn't look likely to stick.

RHP Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez - In the second year of a 3 year/$12 million deal, MAG has shown zero control in spring and leads all pitchers in HRs given up. Due to injuries, he doesn't have much competition for the 5th starter spot so he may end up getting it anyway, but I think they should give it to Slowey and let MAG figure out his location in Lehigh Valley.

INF Andres Blanco - Blanco has outplayed Cesar Hernandez in spring training, though not by much. He's a better defender at SS than Hernandez and Phelps so he's got a chance to make the roster over either of them but I still think the organization likes Hernandez enough to fear losing him if they put him on waivers.

OF Jeff Francoeur - I think most expected him to win a roster spot by default but he's been outplayed by pretty much every other non-roster invitee in the OF and IF so I think he's destined for AAA.

3B Maikel Franco - He didn't really hit much and they want to keep him down for long-term financial reasons anyway.